Israel Says Three Bodies Transferred From Gaza Are Not Hostages’ Remains

Overview

• The International Committee of the Red Cross said it facilitated the transfer of the three deceased to Israeli authorities at the request of the parties.
• Israel’s Abu Kabir institute conducted initial tests and reported the bodies do not correspond to any of the still-unreturned hostages.
• Hamas stated it had offered tissue samples for testing, while Israeli officials insisted on receiving full bodies for identification.
• The Israeli military accused Hamas of staging recoveries and delaying returns, and Hamas cited difficulties locating remains in war-damaged areas.
• Israeli forces carried out new strikes near Khan Yunis as the fragile ceasefire continued, with 17 of the 28 agreed remains returned and 20 living hostages previously freed.